by Ivy Barrett
“What would I have told the chancellor?” Zilrath objected, not answering the question. “We don’t know anything yet.”
“What’s taking Ram so long?” Vikrin grumbled. Was he really this anxious, or did he just want Zilrath to think he was? He continued to pace as he said, “He set the time for this, so where the hell is he?”
“Relax. He’ll be here.” Zilrath didn’t seem concerned about Vikrin’s impatience. Was this behavior typical?
They waited another fifteen minutes before Vikrin spoke again. “Maybe he changed his mind.”
“We want the same thing as the rebels,” Zilrath said, finally sounding a bit annoyed. “Ram needs this alliance just as much as we do.”
“He wants access to my gatekeepers,” Vikrin stressed, his head tilted arrogantly. That was another trait most Tavorians shared. “He isn’t interested in becoming part of the Protectorate.”
That definitely angered the minister. He advanced on the other Tavorian, gaze narrowed, lips tense. “You honestly think the rebels have more to offer you than the Protectorate? I thought you wanted to avoid going to war. Ram will thrust you onto the frontlines and leave you there until the Skarilians are destroyed or everyone is dead.”
“I can speak for myself, Minister.” Ram finally deactivated his camouflage shielding and moved toward the other two in the center of the clearing. “Or should I just call you Ventori pet?” He’d retracted his visor, but the rest of his head and entire body was encased in formfitting armor. It made his face appear particularly dark and menacing.
Why was he provoking Zilrath? Because he’d already made a deal with Vikrin. Which brought Belton back to his original question. What the fuck were they doing here?
Zilrath stepped closer to Ram and Belton drew his rifle, glancing around the circle to make sure his team members had done the same. He didn’t think either Tavorian were a danger to their leader, but there was no way he was taking chances with Ram’s life.
When they stood within striking distance, Zilrath said, “The gatekeepers would like to—”
Ram raised his gloved hand, cutting him off. “I will hear it from the prime gatekeeper, not a Ventori’s bitch.”
Clasping his hands behind his back, Zilrath looked at Vikrin, the silent exchange filled with warning.
Vikrin turned to Ram, looking anything but calm. “The gatekeepers will open a mega-gate but only for the Protectorate. If you wish to be part of the raid, you must negotiate an alliance with the Ventori.”
“Never!” Ram bared his teeth and hissed. “I bow to no one.”
The conversation would have made sense if Ram hadn’t agreed to Vikrin’s proposal, but this was like watching a bad stage performance. Why were they torturing the minister? Why meet at all?
Zilrath stepped forward. “No one said anything about bowing. The Protectorate wants to work with you, not rule over you. It would be a partnership.”
“Savator doesn’t establish partners, he trains pets,” Ram snarled. “I bet it hasn’t been a week since his cock was in your mouth.”
Remaining remarkably calm, the minister asked, “Is that how you maintain order on your ship?”
Ram paused, allowing the tension to build, then he started laughing. “Nice comeback, Minister.” Apparently, the foreplay was over, and Ram was ready to move on.
“We can continue to insult each other if you like,” Zilrath said. “Or we can speak respectfully about what it will take to establish an alliance between the rebels and the Protectorate.”
Ram studied Zilrath, gaze slightly narrowed. “How much authority do you have? I have no patience for messengers.”
“I am able to speak for the chancellor. Speaking with me is just like speaking with him.”
Ram’s brow arched and he looked around. “If Savator is here—and it sounds like he is—I’d rather deal with him directly.”
Belton’s heart lurched in his chest. Fuck! Was Ram after Savator? His mouth went dry, and he locked his rifle more tightly against his shoulder. Ram’s strategies were often daring, but harming the chancellor would lead to nothing but war with the Ventori.
“That’s not going to happen,” Zilrath said firmly. “Talk to me.”
Thank the Gods.
“The rebels only want two things,” Ram said, allowing a hint of arrogance to creep into his tone. “Destruction of the Skarilians, and females. If we help the Protectorate accomplish the first, will Savator guarantee us the second?”
Zilrath squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Why do you need Savator to get females? You’ve been helping yourself to them for weeks.”
Ram smirked, undaunted by the accusation. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Pausing for a deep breath, Zilrath cleared his throat before he spoke again. “What is your proposal exactly?”
“I have access to all the comfort-givers I need.” Ram appeared serious and unyielding now, but Belton was not convinced. He’d yet to reveal his true purpose. “It’s my understanding that the Protectorate now controls the procedure that enables human females to breed with other species. Is this true?”
Zilrath asked, “Are you requesting breeders or mates?”
“Mates, of course. We’re just like the Ventori. We want to rebuild our civilization, as soon as the monsters that destroyed our home world are no more.” Ram should be an entertainer. He appeared completely believable. Still, Belton knew better.
“Give us the location of the Skarilian base to prove you’re serious about this alliance.” Suspicion narrowed Zilrath’s gaze. Despite Ram’s masterful performance, the minister was not convinced. “Once the Skarilians are neutralized, we’ll discuss females.”
Ram laughed, then sneered, “You must think I’m an idiot. As soon as I give up that location, you have no reason to give me anything. I want ten thousand fertile females, genetically reprogrammed to breed with Yashonty males.”
Belton rolled his eyes. Ram was mocking the minister now.
“Ten thousand?” the Tavorian laughed. “Do you have any idea how long it would take to process that many mates? I’m pretty sure they haven’t had that many volunteer over the entire life of the Carnal Compensation Program, and that doesn’t have the added complication of genetic compatibility.”
“That’s not my problem,” Ram said firmly. “If Savator wants the location, he’ll find a way to provide me with females.”
A shimmer in Belton’s peripheral vision whipped his head around. Chancellor Savator materialized a short distance away and stomped over to Ram. Belton followed Bron’s movements with his pulse rifle, forcing all emotion from his mind.
“The location of the Skarilian base means nothing without the gatekeepers. I will allow them to participate in a joint mission, and you will provide the location. Even exchange. End of story. However, if the mission is successful, I might be willing to allow your people to participate in other programs, like the one matching Ventori pods with fertile females. Mates are our most valuable asset. It’s insulting that you think I would squander them carelessly.”
Ram stared at the chancellor, lips pressed into a disapproving line. What the fuck was he thinking? Why had he lured Bron here? “That’s the Ventori position. All the females are human. Who speaks for them?”
Like pieces to an intricate puzzle, everything suddenly fit together, and Belton saw the picture clearly for the first time. This wasn’t about the Tavorians or the Ventori. Ram’s target was Celeste Mortenson. Savator must have had her protected so well that Ram had been unable to get near her. This little pretense was an elaborate ploy meant to draw out his elusive quarry.
“I speak for the humans also,” Bron asserted.
“Unacceptable,” Ram snapped. “I want a human official to assure me of equal consideration. Without this assurance, we are finished here.”
Belton tensed. Were the Ventori foolish enough to fall for this?
Celeste was a Mortenson. Belton had plenty of experience with their stubbornness. Would
the Ventori be able to stop her?
As if to answer his question, Celeste appeared in about the same place the chancellor had materialized. Ram’s gaze narrowed and his nostrils flared, a predator scenting his prey. Knowing what Ram was up to didn’t make the situation any less dangerous. Belton glanced at his team members. Each was focused on Ram.
Celeste reached Bron’s side and started to speak, but Ram didn’t give her the opportunity. He lunged toward her, planting his shoulder in her gut, then lifting her into the air.
A shrill scream escaped the human, but her squirming and kicking didn’t deter Ram in the least. He separated himself from the other males.
“Surround Ram, now!” Belton and his officers formed a tight circle around Ram and his struggling hostage.
“Reveal,” Ram whispered, and everyone deactivated their shields.
Responding to a sharp order from Bron, six Ventori soldiers materialized, creating a ring around Belton and the other Yashonty. It was almost comical. The Yashonty threatened the Ventori, and the Ventori targeted them, but no one could shoot because of the female at the center of the circle. Still, one nervous finger jerk would turn this into a bloodbath. On second thought, it wasn’t comical at all.
“Ram.” The prime gatekeeper no longer sounded timid. “You have what you came for. There is no need for bloodshed.”
Ram nodded, then replied, “Come.” I mean everyone, he clarified telepathically.
Belton and the officer next to him moved out of their way. The Ventori glared as Ram and Vikrin brushed past, but no one tried to stop him.
“Your assistance will not be forgotten, my friend,” Ram said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Ram was making damn sure the wily gatekeeper didn’t try to double-cross him.
Vikrin tensed but didn’t so much as glance back. Without looking at anyone, he opened a portal, and Ram rushed through. Belton and his officers followed close behind.
Stepping into a transport conduit without knowing his destination was terrifying, but Vikrin simply took them to the far side of the upper gravel lot. Ram motioned everyone toward their shuttles, but turned back to Vikrin rather than joining them. “Take us directly to the Dantexit. The faster she’s secured, the better.”
Not waiting to watch Ram’s departure, Belton and his officers ran to their shuttles and immediately lifted off.
“That looked like fun,” Stagin muttered once the ship had cleared Earth atmosphere.
“It would have been less stressful if Ram told me what was really going on.”
Stagin laughed. “Ram loves his secrets. That’s part of his charm.”
Belton had never thought of their commander as charming; brilliant and ruthless, but never charming. Shaking away the useless thought, he relaxed into his seat. The secretive plan worked. There was no denying the outcome. The Yashonty alliance with the gatekeepers was official, whether the Ventori liked it or not. The only question remaining was what did Ram intend to do with Celeste now?
* * *
“I thought Belton would be back by now,” Lorna said softly. She sat on the padded bench in their living room. An action movie was running on her datasheet, but she wasn’t really watching it. Her gaze kept wandering to Moxtel, who sat at the desk across the room, compiling some sort of report.
Without looking up, Moxtel muttered, “He’ll be back soon.”
She smiled. Moxtel had been saying that for the past two hours.
As if conjured by her restlessness, Belton walked into the cabin a few minutes later.
“Hey there.” She set her datasheet aside and stood, crossing the room to give him an affectionate hug. “So what was the big deal? Why did Ram insist on taking you away from me for an entire day? Doesn’t he know we’re in the grip of bonding fever?”
Despite her friendly greeting, his expression remained grim. “He wanted security for his fieldtrip to Earth.”
She tensed, then stepped back, mind racing. What would require a personal visit to Earth and leave jovial Belton in such a bad mood? “What did Ram want on... Oh, shit, he went after Celeste, didn’t he?”
“Celeste is fine.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and opened his mind, sharing his emotions until she believed him. “She is unharmed, and no harm will come to her now.”
“Where is she?” Tears swam in her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them away. She should have realized Ram didn’t make idle threats, but part of her had hoped Celeste would miraculously elude him. “I want to see her, talk to her. You’re head of security. I know you can make that happen.”
Moxtel deactivated the report and moved closer to where they stood. “Did Ram just snatch her off the street? Does anyone else know we have her?”
“Everyone knows,” Belton admitted with a sigh. “Chancellor Savator was standing right there when Ram grabbed her.” He tried to pull Lorna closer, but she twisted away.
“Bron Savator just stood there and let Ram take her?” Lorna objected. “I don’t believe that for a minute. The Ventori might be brutes, but they are hyper-protective of females.”
“He had no choice. The prime gatekeeper opened a portal, and we all ran through before anyone could do anything,” Belton told her.
“Then it’s true, the Tavorians are helping Ram?” She shook her head. This didn’t make sense. Tavorians didn’t help anyone. They were fanatical separatists.
“It’s a long involved story,” Moxtel warned. “Suffice it to say, the meeting you heard about was very productive.”
Her eyes narrowed, and anger spiked across their link. Moxtel spent most of the morning teaching her how to control how much emotion she shared, but she didn’t even try to hide how angry she was. “Have all the Tavorians switched sides or just the gatekeepers?”
“The prime gatekeeper claims he has all the others, but I’m not convinced,” Moxtel told her.
“The Protectorate saved their worthless hides,” she muttered, disgusted by their disloyalty. “What did Ram promise them?”
Moxtel glanced at Belton with a heavy sigh. “They want a place to start over, just like everyone else. We can’t win the war without the gatekeepers, and Ram knows Rylar is still largely undeveloped.” He released a humorless laugh and shook his head. “Looks like I’m going to owe my uncle a bunch of favors by the time this fucking war is over.”
She nodded, struggling to understand all the ramifications. If everyone knew the Tavorians had switched sides, what the hell did Ram want with Celeste?
“For one horrific moment, I thought Savator was Ram’s target,” Belton said as she lapsed into silence.
Moxtel shook his head. “Our war is with the Skarilians, not the Ventori. Ram has no reason to harm Savator.”
“But he has a reason to harm Celeste?” Lorna flared.
“No one will harm Celeste. She is locked in a holding cell, and Ram ordered no direct contact from anyone. That means her food generator will be triggered remotely, and no one will go near her. Ram had to protect our alliance with the gatekeepers. That’s the only reason he took Celeste.”
“That justification no longer holds water. If Savator was there when Ram took her, then the Ventori already know.”
“She has a point,” Moxtel said thoughtfully. “There has to be another reason Ram wanted her.”
Belton threw up his hands. “If there is, he sure as fuck didn’t tell me. I went down there thinking he was actually considering some sort of alliance with the Ventori. I was as surprised as Savator.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, but fear rippled through her anger. “Does Ram know about our blood, that we might be life-bringers?”
Moxtel’s guilty expression was answer enough.
“Oh, my God, this is worse than I thought,” she cried, guilt rushing through her like a geyser. She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. “It’s my fault. All of it. If I’d kept my big mouth shut, she’d still be at home plotting ways to rescue Brianne.”
Lorna wasn’t ready to let
Belton comfort her, but she turned to Moxtel. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her while she cried. She’d struggled for so long, had tried so hard and all of it had been for nothing. Brianne was being seduced by some alien king, and Celeste was locked in a holding cell aboard Ram’s ship.
Belton approached slowly and stroked the back of her hair. “I can’t take you to her, but I can let you see her on the security feed.”
“And he’ll let you talk to her for a moment or two,” Moxtel said firmly, reinforcing the statement with a meaningful look.
“That would take a more significant setup.” Moxtel’s look grew even fiercer, so Belton sighed. “I’ll loop the actual feed long enough for you two to have a brief conversation.”
She turned within the circle of Moxtel’s arms and looked at Belton, gaze beseeching. “I’d feel better if I could see her and let her know I’m all right. She has to be terrified right now.”
Giving in with a helpless smile, Belton said, “Go brush your hair. You look like you’ve spent the past week in bed.”
She shook her head. “Wonder why.”
Moxtel turned to Belton as she retreated into the utility room. They waited until she was out of sight, but she could still hear them.
“This was a strange way for Ram to announce his alliance with the gatekeepers. Was this really about Celeste, or was he up to something else entirely?”
Belton sounded annoyed, even exasperated. “Who the fuck knows with Ram. He always has a reason, but he’s never in a hurry to explain it to anyone.”
“I’ll see if he’ll tell me what he has planned, but he’s been damn cagy with everyone lately.”
Belton must have moved farther away from the bathroom. He was harder to hear now. “He needs a good hard fuck, maybe more than one. Our leader lives like a fanatical cleric.”
“He told me he’s holding out for a mate,” Moxtel said with a chuckle.
Lorna’s heart dropped into her stomach. A mate? Like a human with a negative Rh factor? She shook away the disturbing possibility. They didn’t even know if that made a difference with the Yashonty. She was getting way ahead of herself.